fritts



R. A. FRITTS 3,125,051

March 17, 1964 Filed Feb. 19, 1962 6 Q 2? g 51, v

INVENTOR.

Russell A. Fri ifs WITNESS BY .9: A bRNEY March 17, 1954 R. A. FRITTS 3,125,051

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1962 s Sheets-She et 2 mmvrm Russell A. Frifls A T TORNE Y March 17, 1964 T s 3,125,051

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Feb. 19, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvrm Russell A. Fri ffs WITNESS BY flwwmwk W Q- United States Patent O 3,125,051 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Russell A. Fritts, Cranford, N.J., assignor to The Singer Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 173,912 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-220) This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to an improved electro-mechanical drive mechanism contained in a case or housing, which case or housing may be in the form of a carrying case designed, not only to house the drive mechanism, but also designed to house at least a portion of the sewing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means whereby an electrically driven sewing machine can be started and stopped without starting and stopping the electric motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means whereby an electro-mechanical drive for a sewing machine can be placed in and assembled with a plural-section housing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for holding a rubber tired idler wheel from engagement with driving and driven members.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical view taken in section through a carrying case or housing comprising a base member, a lid member, and a cover member and showing the hand wheel of a sewing machine driven by the drive mechanism embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating details of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. '5 is a fnagmentary view partly in section and showing portions of the mechanism as they are disposed just prior to the lid member being placed on the base member, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a depression formed in the sewing machine carrying case lid.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 6 relate to an improved start-stop mechanism designed for use with sewing machines of the type shown in the co-pending design patent application Serial No. D67,098, filed October 16, 1961 now United States Patent No. D-192,712. The sewing machine, which is designated in the present drawings by numeral 16, is of the childrens variety and is housed in a carrying case which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention takes the form of the carrying case 17 preferably made of plastic and comprising a base member 21, a lid member 22, and a cover member 23. The base 21 has a bottom wall 26, a front wall 27, a rear wall 28, and two end walls 29 and 31. The upwardly open mouth of the base 21 is covered by the lid 22 in such a manner that the lid 22 overlies and rests on the top of the front wall 27, the top of the rear wall 28 and tops of the end walls 29 and 31, thereby protecting the upper portions of the walls 27, 28, 29 and 31 from damage. The cover 23 rests on top of the lid 22 and may be "ice secured to or separated from the base 21 by means of a pair of latches (not shown).

When the sewing machine 16 is housed in the carrying case 17, the work support plate (not shown) of the sewing machine 16 rests on top of the lid 22 and screws (not shown) extend through the bottom wall 26 of the base 21 to clamp the sewing machine 16 to the base 21, and, since the work support plate (not shown) of the sewing machine 16 rests on top of the lid 22, the act of clamping the sewing machine 16 to the base 21 clamps the lid 22 to the base 21.

The sewing machine 16 is driven by an electric motor 41, which may be of any known type, and thus need not be fully described or illustrated. However, for the purpose of this disclosure, the motor 41 is shown to comprise a motor driven rotary element or drive shaft 42 and a frame portion 43. The motor frame portion 43 is secured to a support bracket 44 by a pair of screws 4646, and the bracket 44 is secured to the bottom Wall 26 of the base 21 by means of screws 47 and 48, which screws pass through holes formed in lugs 49 and 50, and the screws 4748 are threaded into bosses formed integral with and extending upwardly from the inside or upper surface of the bottom wall 26. Reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 shows that the lugs 49 and 50 are parallel to the plane of the bottom wall 26. The main body plate 54 of the bracket 44 is formed integral with the lugs 4950 and extends upwardly at an angle of approximately degrees with respect to the plane of the bottom wall 26. The plate 54 has several apertures, including (a) two holes 5656 positioned to accommodate the screws 4646, (b) a hole 57 which allows the motor drive shaft 42 to pass freely through the plate 54, (c) a hole 58, which receives the end 59 of a shouldered rivet having a head 61, and (d) a hole 62 to which is attached one end of a helical tension spring means 63. A lever or slide plate 64, by reason of having a longitudinally extending slot 66 is slidably mounted on the shouldered and headed rivet 5961, and one end of the lever 64 has a hole 67 to which is attached the other end of the spring 63. The end of the lever 64 remote from the slot 66 and the hole 67 carries a shaft 68 which rotatably journals a rubber tired idler wheel 69. The lever 64 at a location above the shaft 68 is formed with an upstanding lug 71 the upper portion of which is formed with an arm 72. At a right angle from the free end of the arm 72 there extends a finger 73 the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the rubber tire 77 of the wheel 69 engages the external cylindrical surface of the motor shaft 42 and also engages the frusto-conical drive surface 78 of the handwheel or rotary element 79 of the sewing machine 16. Engagement of the rubber tire 77 with the shaft 42 and with the surface 78 is maintained by reason of the spring 63 biasing the lever 64 in a direction toward the rear wall 28 (FIG. 1).

The lid 22 is formed with a cupola 81 FIGS. 2 and 6, a front portion of which has an operating handle depression. 82 bounded on opposite sides by vertical walls 83 and 84. The upper ends of the walls 83-84 are connected by a sloping wall 86 (marked Sew) and the lower ends of the walls 83-84 are connected by a sloping wall 87 (marked Stop). The bottom edge of the sloping wall 86 is connected to the top edge of the sloping wall 87 by a substantially Z-shaped panel 88 which is provided with a centrally located aperture or elongated slot 89. The Z-shaped panel 88 comprises a number of portions disposed at an angle with respect to each other and includes a lower horizontal portion 91 which is bounded by the upper edge of the wall 87 and by the vertical walls 8384. The inner edge of the panel portion 91 is bounded by the lower end of panel portions 93 and 94 and by the lower end of the slot 89. The portion 93, in addition to being bounded by the portion 91, is bounded by the wall 83, and by the slot 89. The upper end of the portion 93 is bounded by a portion 96, which portion 96 is bounded by the wall 83 and by the slot 89. The portion 94, in addition to being bounded by the portion 91, is bounded by the wall 84 and by the slot 39. The upper end of the portion 94 is bounded by a portion 97, which portion 97 is bounded by the wall 84 and by the slot 89. The upper ends of the portions 96 and 97 are bounded by the lower ends of a bifurcated portion 98, the bifurcation being formed by the upper end of the slot 09. The portion 98, in addition to being bounded by the portions 96, 97 and by the slot 89, is bounded by the walls 83 and 84 and by the wall 86. A first raised cam surface or projection 101 protrudes from the outer surfaces of the portions 93 and 96 and a second raised cam surface or projection 102 protrudes from the outer surfaces of the adjacent to the hook 107 is provided with curved cam engaging surfaces 109 and 111, one surface being formed on each side of the hook 107. These surfaces 109 and 111 are designed to engage and slide on the projections 101 and 102, respectively.

In operation, the mechanism of this invention functions in the following manner. When the head 108 of the operating handle 106 is in the dot-dot or Stop position shown in FIG. 1, the surfaces 109 and 111 engage the lower ends of the projections 101 and 102, which lower ends are carried'by the panel portions 93 and 94. In this position the hook 107 pulls on the finger 73 and causes the lever 64 to extend the spring 63. This extension of the spring 63 and movement of the lever 64 to the dot-dot or Stop position (FIG. 1) causes the rubber tired wheel 69 to draw away from contact with the motor shaft 42 and away from the frusto-conical drive surface 78 of the handwheel 79. Under these conditions the motor shaft 42 can rotate without causing the idler wheel 69 or the handwheel 7-9 to rotate. When an operator wishes to start the sewing machine, she simply moves the operating head 108 of the handle 106 up to the Sew or solid line position shown in FIG. 1. In this position the surfaces 109 and 111 engage the upper ends of the projections 101 and 102, which upper ends are carried by the panel portions 96 and 97. This permits the spring 63 to pull the sliding lever 64 to a position whereby the rubber tire 77 of the wheel 69 engages both the shaft 42 and the handwheel 79. Under these conditions the motor shaft 42 drives the wheel 69 and the idler wheel'69 drives the handwheel 79. This drives the sewing machine 16. The sewing machine 16 can be stopped by moving the head 108 down to the dotdot or Stop position shown in FIG. 1. Because the projections 101 and 102, which function as cams, are carried by surfaces which are disposed at an angle to one another the projections each have a knee position over which the surfaces 109 and 111 moves and this movement causes the operating handle 106 to shift from one position to the other position with a definite snap action.

When the parts are to be assembled, the hook 107 of the handle 106 is passed through the slot 89 in the lid 22. Then the lid 22 is moved to substantially the position shown in FIG. 5, and the hook 107 is hooked over the finger 73. After this the lid 22 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 1, wherein the lid 22 rests on the base 21. Next the sewing machine 16 is placed on the lid 22 and screws (not shown) are caused to fasten the sewing machine 16 and thus the lid 22 to the base 21.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim herein 1. A drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in an apertured supporting case, said drive mechanism comprising a motor driven rotary element, a rotary ele ment formed as part of said sewing machine, a lever supported by said case, an idler wheel-carried by said lever, means for biasing said lever in a direction to cause said idler wheel to engage both of said rotary elements, an operating handle extending through said apertured case and having a portion located outside of said case and a portion located inside of said case, means for connecting said operating handle to said lever, and a cam projection on said case, said cam projection acting upon movement of said handle-to shift said lever against said biasing means thereby to disengage said idler wheel from one of said rotary elements.

2. A drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in an apertured supporting case, said drive mechanism comprising a motor driven rotary element, a rotary element formed as part of said sewing machine, a lever supported by said case, an idler wheel carried by said lever, means for biasing said lever in a direction to cause said idler wheel to engage both of said rotary elements, an operating handle extending through said apertured case and having a head located above said case and a hook located below said case, means forconnecting said hook to said lever and a cam on the outside of said case, said cam acting upon movement of said handle to shift said lever against said biasing means thereby to disengage said idler wheel from one of said rotary elements.

3. A drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in a case, an apertured panel formed as part of said case, said drive mechanism comprising a motor driven rotary element, a rotary element formed as part of said sewing machine, a lever supported by said case, an idler wheel carried by said lever, means for biasing said lever in a direction to cause said idler wheel to engage both of said rotary elements, an operating handle extending through said aperture panel and having a portion located above said panel and a portion located below said panel, means below said panel for connecting said operating handle to said lever, a pair of projections positioned one on each side of the aperture in said panel, and sur faces on said handle, said surfaces engaging said projections.

4. A drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in a supporting case, an apertured panel formed as part of said case and having surfaces disposed at an angle to one another, said drive mechanism comprising a motor drivenrotary element, a rotary element formed as part of said sewing machine, a lever supported by said case, an idler wheel carried by said lever, means for biasing said lever in a directionto cause said idler wheel to engage both of said rotary elements, an operating handle extending through said aperturedpanel having a portion located above said panel and a portion located below said panel, means below said panel for connecting said operating handle to said lever, a pair of projections, one positioned on each side of the aperture in said panel and each of said projections extending over surfaces disposed at an angle to one another.

5. A drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in an apertured supporting case, said drive mechanism comprising a motor supported by said case, a shaft carried by saidelectric motor, a handwheel carried by said sewing machine, an idler wheel arranged to drive said handwheel from said motor shaft, means for biasing said idler wheel into engagement with said shaft and said handwheel, and means to disengage said idler wheel from engagement with said shaft and said handwheel, said last named means comprising a cam surface formed on the outside of said case at a location adjacent to the aperture thereof, a handle passing through the aperture in said case and connected with said idler wheel, and cam engaging surfaces formed on said handle and positioned to engage the cams on said housing.

6. An electro-mechanical drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in an apertured supporting case, said drive mechanism comprising an electric motor supported by said case, a rotatable member carried by said motor, a rotatable member carried by said sewing Inachine, a slidably mounted lever supported from said case, a rotatably mounted idler wheel carried on one end of said lever, a spring attached to the other end of said lever and biasing said lever in a direction causing said idler wheel to engage both of said rotatable members, a finger carried on the end of said lever which carries said idler wheel, an operating handle having a head positioned above said case and said handle having a hook passing through the aperture in said case and hooked to said finger, and a cam surface carried on the outside of said case, said cam surface acting, upon movement of said handle to move said handle and said lever against the bias of said spring to a position disengaging the idler wheel from contact with one of said rotatable members.

7. An electro-rnechanical drive mechanism for a sewing machine mounted in a supporting case having an apertured Z-shaped panel located in a depression bounded by two vertical walls, said drive mechanism comprising an the other end of said lever and biasing said lever in a direction causing said idler wheel to engage both of said rotatable members, a finger carried on the end of said lever which carries said idler wheel, an operating handle having a head positioned above said case and said handle having a hook passing through the aperture in said panel and hooked to said finger, a first indicia-carrying sloping wall formed at one end of said Z-shaped panel, a second indicia-carrying wall formed at the other end of said Z-shaped panel, a plurality of panel portions formed as part of said Z-shaped panel and some of said panel portions being disposed at an angle with respect to other of said panel portions, a pair of cam surface projections protruding from the outer surfaces of certain of said panel portions, said cam surface projections acting upon movement of said handle to move said handle and said lever against the bias of said spring to a position disengaging the idler wheel from contact with one of said rotatable members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,741,22 Pfaif Apr. 10, 1956 2,832,227 Macleod Apr. 29, 1958 2,863,413 Strocco Dec. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 228,846 Australia June 28, 1960 596,548 Canada Apr. 19, 1960 613,453 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1948 

1. A DRIVE MECHANISM FOR A SEWING MACHINE MOUNTED IN AN APERTURED SUPPORTING CASE, SAID DRIVE MECHANISM COMPRISING A MOTOR DRIVEN ROTARY ELEMENT, A ROTARY ELEMENT FORMED AS PART OF SAID SEWING MACHINE, A LEVER SUPPORTED BY SAID CASE, AN IDLER WHEEL CARRIED BY SAID LEVER, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID LEVER IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE SAID IDLER WHEEL TO ENGAGE BOTH OF SAID ROTARY ELEMENTS, AN OPERATING HANDLE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURED CASE AND HAVING A PORTION LOCATED OUTSIDE OF SAID CASE AND A PORTION LOCATED INSIDE OF SAID CASE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID OPERATING HANDLE TO SAID LEVER, AND A CAM PROJECTION ON SAID CASE, SAID CAM PROJECTION ACTING UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE TO SHIFT SAID LEVER AGAINST SAID BIASING MEANS THEREBY TO DISENGAGE SAID IDLER WHEEL FROM ONE OF SAID ROTARY ELEMENTS. 